1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a tail fin, in particular, to an easily assembled and disassembled tail fin assembly for an above water inflatable product, such as an inflatable boat, an inflatable surfboard or the like.
2. Background
A tail fin is an essential part of an above-water inflatable product such as an inflatable boat, a surfboard, an inflatable canoe, an inflatable rowboat or the like. The tail fin is typically mounted onto the bottom of an inflatable boat, a surfboard or the like, near its tail. In some instances, one tail fin is mounted to the bottom of the inflatable product. In other instances, two or more tail fins may be mounted to the bottom of the inflatable product in various configurations. The tail fin provides directionality and stability to the inflatable boat or the surfboard, making the turning more easily.
Tail fin assemblies typically include a fin and a pedestal, where the fin is secured on the pedestal and the pedestal is secured to the bottom of the inflatable product. The fin typically comprises a dorsal fin shape for reducing the resistance of water when sailing and may be constructed from a durable high strength material. The fin is designed to be a structure with thinner edge portions and thicker middle portions. Depending upon the application and use of the inflatable product, the fin may be constructed to different dimensions and shapes.
Certain prior art tail fin assemblies are constructed from PVC material where the fin and pedestal are integrally formed by injection molding and cannot be separated. Although these type of tail fins are fabricated by a simple process at low cost, these type of tail fins are prone to deform under high pressure, thereby affecting the directionality and stability of the inflatable products to which they are attached. Such prior art tail fins cannot be replaced after being cracked or damaged. Additionally, the package volume and weight of inflatable products with integrally-formed tail fins may be comparatively large, thereby increasing their packaging and shipping costs.
Other prior art tail fins include a dismountable tail fin assembly comprising a fin and a pedestal, where the pedestal is secured to the bottom of the inflatable product and the fin is fixedly secured to the pedestal. In these types, when the fin is broken off or damaged, or when a user wishes to use a tail fin with other shapes or dimensions, the fin must be dismounted from the pedestal and replaced. After use, the fin may be dismounted from the pedestal and stored. Typically, the fin is secured to the pedestal by metal bolts or other fasteners and special tools are needed to assemble and disassemble the fin from the pedestal. This may cause great inconvenience for the user. Furthermore, the metal bolts are vulnerable to corrosion and rust in water, especially in seawater.
Thus, a need therefore exists for a tail fin assembly having a detachable fin that is sturdy and durable yet simple to attach and remove from the inflatable product upon which the fin is mounted.